I got goalz n stuff--super long catch up post

So many things I wish for, but I'm going to narrow it down to things I think are actually attainable in 2013. Some of the things are about me. I'm going to be 40 in May and there are some things that I need to do to be happy at 40. I have already started some changes (really small ones!) and am adding another small change every day or two while holding on to the others. Like a snowball, kinda. One thing I've tried before and failed and failed at is getting rid of wheat. I KNOW that wheat and my body do not get along. I KNOW that when I am not eating wheat I feel wonderful and weight starts coming off and my belly gets smaller. I have more energy. Fewer headaches. Fewer belly aches. I know this. It's something worth succeeding at. So I will continue to strive to be wheat free, even if I fail some or back slide some. I don't think I have to detail why wheat is such a powerful enemy, especially around the holidays. I mean, the rolls alone. **drool** Potatoes are another foe, but baby steps, here. Wheat is my main rival and I think once it's conquered the other foods that make me feel shitty will be much easier to vanquish. I have other small goals and changes that I'm doing like drinking water, and lots of it. Getting up earlier than the kids and having time to plan for the day and just be alone for a few minutes. Exercise is coming, baby steps baby steps. I REALLY want a bicycle. Will be budgeting that in, hopefully in the next few months.

Some of the things are about our house. Our house needs work. Oh hey, look! I made the understatement of the year. We got issues. Plumbing issues. Window issues. Central air issues (being that we, like, don't have it). Our carpet sucks. The kitchen needs repainting. The roof leaks over the porch, which really sucks because we have a great porch (once we paint it!). The garage door needs replacing, our driveway needs gravel, some low limbs need trimming, and after it's all done and just the way we want it inside? There are plans to paint the outside.  Now don't think I'm ungrateful or hate my house. Nooo, no, no, no. I freakin' love my house, warts and all. Any shit talking my house is ill-advised. I'm allowed to say my house is shitty. You.are.not. I guess the point of this rambling is that we are fixing our house one step at a time, in the order that WE, the people who live here, deem correct. I don't need perfection and the suggestion that my house is not good enough makes me pretty darn angry. I live here. Hello. My kids LIVE HERE. So yeah. One thing at a time and we'll get where we need to be without going into debt or jacking up our budget. And I'm gonna detail those steps here, you lucky possums!  (as my friend Doe would say) Priority one is the stupid driveway. I've priced gravel and that is within the budget in 3 pay periods, as is a plumber to fix some ongoing issues that are manageable but a pain in the ass. After that we'll look into the other issues and how to tackle them. It would be so nice to have central air next summer! But insulation must be blown in, first, or it would be a waste of money. So many things! But I am excited by the prospect of getting our house the way we want it, even though it's overwhelming. Baby steps! NOW, those are the goals for fixing up the house. Keeping house? That's....something else entirely. The clutter monster keeps creeping up and having to be slain, over and over again. I have systems for many things, but clutter still has a strong presence here and I don't like it one bit.  My car is the worst. It's like a mobile garbage can/laundry basket. Organizational goals will be detailed later, once I've got an idea of what I want to do with this problem.

My kids need one on one time with E and with me. That's a goal that's going to be difficult, but attainable with some creative thinking and follow through. I took M to a movie after his dentist appointment on Friday, just him and me. It was so nice to have that time together!  I'd like to do some more things like that and for E to, too. I get lots of time with X, since I'm home all day with him during the week after preschool. We've started playing Uno an Wii games together in the evenings instead of all going our separate ways and plugging into something. Crafting is fun, too, and something the boys and I enjoy, maybe not E so much. I do best with concrete plans, plugged into my calendar with a reminder pop up. Pretty soon it will be Christmas break so I have a few ideas for things to do together so we don't drive each other nuts. They'll have new toys and things to keep them busy, too, but that will bring more clutter. Being a grown up is so super fun, don't you agreeee?